Rope access equipment is used in many different applications where persons are working at heights. Some common, non-limiting, examples of persons who will commonly use rope access equipment include workers in building and construction, roofers, bridge workers, window cleaners, tree loppers and emergency service workers such as firefighters.
One main function of existing rope access equipment is to provide rope based safety arrangements to arrest or stop the worker from falling to ground should they slip or fall when working at heights. While most existing systems do this satisfactorily, one main problem is that the person whose fall is arrested is typically unable to help themselves after they have fallen, even if they are conscious and uninjured. The person may, for example, be left dangling from the top of a roof adjacent a wall of a building but is unable to move without assistance. To rescue them will require assistance from a co-worker, assuming that the worker has the required skills and qualifications to perform a rescue or may involve the use of emergency services personnel. Also, if the person is left dangling from a rope, they run the risk of injury if they are not rescued quickly.
One additional problem with existing rope access equipment is that they typically only arrest a fall and do not prevent falls completely (“fall restraint”).
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